 Posted

Japanese emigration has a history stretching back over 150 years, even before the Meiji Period.
These days there are over 3 million Japanese emigrants and their descendants, known as “nikkei” spread all over the world. Most of them concentrated in Brazil, the United States and the Americas.
The word “nikkei” is the word used in Japan and its meaning is changing historically.
As the 6th generation of “nikkei” are born, there are those within the nikkei communities themselves who do not know the word “nikkei” and have no awareness of being “nikkei”.
Nikkei people have their own unique identity and culture, and the word “Nikkei” itself is something that they have come to define by themselves.
Japan has changed a great deal since the end of the war. However the history and traditions that are gradually being forgotten here are still alive and being preserved in Japanese communities abroad.
For those of us who have forgotten, we can re-learn traditions and culture by learning about the history of the nikkei people.

Now, the ICC has invited Mr. Shigeru Kojima, a curator of JICA Yokohama Japanese Overseas Migration Museum to come and tell you about the history of Japanese emigration to the Americas and the current issues facing Nikkei people and communities both there and in Japan.

Please come and join us for this fascinating talk!

At Parana, Brazil

A scenery of Japantown at San Francisco

◆Guest Profile: Mr. Shigeru Kojima◆

Born in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture. Visiting research scholar at Waseda Institute for Migration and Ethnic Cultural Studies. Specialization: Migration History and Research.
After studying abroad in Brazil while studying at Sophia University, Mr. Kojima returned and completed his Masters Degree at the History Department of the Federal University of Parana.
After being a guest lecturer at various institutes like Tokyo Gakugei University, he was involved in the establishment of the JICA Yokohama Japanese Overseas Migration Museum and is now in charge of curation there. Numerous Published Works, including: “Overseas Migration and Migrants; Japanese, Nikkei” in “Diasporas of East Asia”, Hiroshi Komai ed. Akashi Shoten 2011.(Japanese)】